AOL is offering high-res trailers for upcoming movies in downloadable Windows Media Video.  Using Kontiki (a P2P distribution engine), they're offering, "MoviefoneHRD" with fast downloads of 1+  Megabit WM Videos.  The compresses are ok, but the content is even cooler.  Check out the trailers for Will Farrell in, "Bewitched" (ok, I thought this was going to be super-cheesy but looks funny), War of the Worlds, and Stealth.

I hope AOL/TW does a WMV and PMC version of this.

If you own a Tablet PC, run don't walk to download the free Tablet PC Experience Pack.  This is what happens when a development team really gets behind developing powertoys and powertools and listens to its customers along the way. Robert has a good demo video up on Channel 9.  The features include:

Ink Desktop
Take notes directly on your desktop for quick and easy access later. Jot down a phone number, directions, or top priorities for the day.

Snipping Tool
Use your tablet pen to select a portion of a website, document, or other content on your screen. You can add handwritten comments and then paste it into an e-mail message or other program.

Ink Art
Paint with your tablet pen using Ink Art, which simulates an artist’s toolset. Choose from different textured canvases, paint brushes, chalks, crayons, and more.

Media Transfer
Copy or stream media files from your home computer to your Tablet PC, so that you can enjoy your favorite music, home videos, or digital photo albums wherever you go.

Ink Crossword
Solve crosswords on your Tablet PC with your tablet pen. Twelve puzzles come with the game. You can also download a free daily puzzle and purchase more puzzle packs online.

Energy Blue Theme Pack
Brighten the look of your Tablet PC desktop, Start menu, windows, and toolbars. Also get a new Windows Media Player skin that’s customized for the Tablet PC.

If you have a Windows Media Center PC or any XP PC for that matter, you're going to love the Media Transfer Wizard.  It uses Windows Media Connect technology to discover and download TV, Videos, Music and more.

I'm back from my blogging vacation with a quick roundup of news on Media Center

- HP adds an iPod dock to its new Media Center PC.  Lots of opinions on this one, I think it further validates MCE and demonstrates HP's commit to the OS. I hear it's just a little plastic place to set your iPod. Peter hopes for a PMC Dock- Hello, Creative?

- Michael Gartenberg finds a conflict between MSN Remote Record and Extenders. I'm using both on my MCE but that doesn't mean there's not a problem.  Sent mail to the team to investigate. Yes, my MCE is "locked down" as well.

- Thomas Hawk says Microsoft should offer a direct support line or take back support from outsourcing PC OEMs. "I paid $99 for an extended warranty with HP that included lifetime telephone support. I'd much have preferred to give this money directly to Microsoft and had you guys fixing my wagon instead." MSFT does offer paid support. MCE is officially offered as a complete PC. This would have to assume that Microsoft is familiar with the OEM's every HW and SW configuration. Then you have thousands of system builders. I'm not sure that scales.

Adjusting for this and making Thomas' point, would you be willing to pay for a premier support program for software, even if you still had to call your PC manufacturer to support the hardware?  How does this differ from Geek Squad?

- New Expert Zone article on how to Burn, Archive, and Share Digital Videos using MCE 2005

- Cool new MCE designs from Beblu and Shuttle's MCE-01 and one more "tower of silver" to mix things up from Velocity Micro (via engadget)

- Keyboard shortcuts for MCE 2005 (Michael Creasy's Blog)

- Sony offering upgrade to MCE 2005 for existing customers.

- I'm not sure "Quietens" is a word, but Alienware gets it: people want quiet PCs! (via Media Center PC World)

- 10FootGames has launched their first MCE game. Looking forward to more

Apologies and thanks for the emails- I'm on a bit of a blog vacation.  I'll be back next week.
Thanks

C|Net is reporting this AM that Symbian has announced they will develop software to allow Symbian phones to sync with MS Exchange Server 2003 e-mail, calendar, contacts, and other personal information tools.  Licensing terms were not disclosed however  Symbian licensees will also benefit. 

Last month, Microsoft and Nokia, (the powerhouse in the Symbian relationship) annonced plans to bring WMA and digital music stores based on AAC to the phone, and to WM Player 10. MTP (Media Transport Protocol) will also be supported, allowing for a driver-less installation and sync experience with Windows Media Player 10. 

When you consider the reach of these devices and technologies, these are significant announcements. While I love my Audiovox SMT-5600 smartphone, I look forward to contrasting these experiences on the Symbian and Nokia platforms.

Yesterday, PVRBlog and other outlets reported that TiVo and Comcast announced a non-exclusive deal to bring the TiVo experience to Comcast customers.  This sounds very interesting, I'll even say exciting as an early adopter of TiVo but then my, "skeptic chip" kicks in. I have some questions lingering after the announcement.  Excerpted from the press release:

Under the terms of the agreement, Comcast and TiVo will work together to develop a version of the TiVo service that will be made available on Comcast's current primary DVR platform.

Q: Assuming this is the Motorola DVR platform, how will they bring the richness of the TiVo User Experience to a box that appears to have far less video or UI processing horsepower without diminishing the signature TiVo experience?

New software will be developed by TiVo and will be incorporated into Comcast's existing network platforms. The new service will be marketed with the TiVo brand, and is expected to be available on Comcast's DVR products in a majority of Comcast markets in mid-to-late 2006.

Q: Sounds like TiVo found a back-door around what they described as a CableCard "monopoly" issue as exclaimed  in their last analyst call, and the fall-out of their relationship with satellite provider DirecTV. Judging by the time-table it sounds like the engineers are just starting to get spun up on the hardware.  Will consumers have a choice of platforms?  Will the cost be the same?

This long-term, non-exclusive partnership will provide millions of Comcast customers with the opportunity to choose the TiVo service, including TiVo's award-winning user interface and features like Season Pass(TM) and WishList(TM), as an additional option.

Q: Comparable features (season recording in particular) are available on existing boxes, yet TiVo notes these will be available as an additional option.  That means more $$ to Comcast and TiVo on a monthly basis. How much more than we're currently paying? And back to my first point- perhaps there's a new Moto box coming that they'll use as the platform for the user experience but moving from the UI of existing DVR boxes to TiVo is a big leap.

In addition, the service will showcase TiVo's home networking, multimedia, and broadband capabilities.

Q: This is very interesting- I wonder if you will be able to share recorded programs around the home network, the impact that the broadcast flag will have on this, and whether you'll be able to transfer the programs to your Windows XP PC ala TiVo2Go? What about Portable Media Center.  And back to that broadcast flag issue... ;)

[...]

As an extension of the relationship, TiVo and Comcast will make TiVo's interactive advertising platform available across Comcast's customer base without interrupting the award-winning TiVo subscriber experience.

Q: So this is the real carrot for the cable operators IMO. Tens of billions of dollars in ad revenue flow into the TV broadcast market every year. Here's an opportunity to generate more revenue on the front-end (higher and optional subscription charges per month) and the back-end (targeted advertising augmenting Comcast's already owned/leased/sold ad-space.

I'm looking forward to seeing how fully vision becomes reality on this one. I have yet to see if the consumer really wins in the end and if Comcast/TiVo can bring the richness of the experience to the hardware platform. I hope they don't dilute the TiVo experience. What do you think?

As always- all comments are my own and do not represent my employer.

While light on details (or a link to the report or details on methodology), Reuters/CNet posts on iSuppli's new survey that shows that over the next five years, shipments of MP3 music players will expand from 36.8 million in 2004 to 132 million units in 2009.

Consumers may not want a swiss-army product as the report alludes, however I think a product that plays multiple formats and supports multiple music services is still important.

Courtesy of MCESoft.nl:

In what can only be described as a geek event of "Big Bang" proportions, "Lego Star Wars: The Video Game" is coming next week.  Xbox and PC versions and you can play on yourSome folks internally are chattering about it like my wife did when she found out she was pregnant with our son.

I have to admit, I had a major Lego and Star Wars addiction when I was a kid too and look forward to sharing this kind of thing with my son when he's older. Perhaps that's too much sharing though... ;).  I just realized that he'll probably never remember Xbox.  The next-generation Xbox will be his first conscious recollection of home console gaming.  Geez, and my first was PONG.

Cool.  More resources (this time from O'Reilly) on how to build apps for Media Center.

http://www.ondotnet.com/pub/a/dotnet/2005/03/08/mce_part1.html

Let's see, FM Tuner, Voice Recording, WMA and MP3 support. This is an improvement, but still no display?  Come on, even CD Players have this folks. The design looks kinda familiar but I can't quite put my finger on it... ;) 

http://www.luxpro-corp.com/e_575d.htm

Many of you have asked when Media Center might come to your country or region.  At CeBIT, it was announced that Windows XP Media Center Edition will be coming to twenty new markets more than doubling the language availability of the platform. Today, more than 90 major manufacturers and over 7,000 system builders are shipping Media Center PCs in 13 countries.  Here's a list of the new locations being added:

MCE Geek Dinner World Tour Anyone?  I can just see the t-shirts now :)
Press Release here.